Welcome to the October 1st edition of Faith & Life Lessons.
You will see this email full of tidbits from my week. My goal is simple. I hope that from how I live my life, you can find a thing or two that helps you as you try to live a life that matters. I am always trying to do one thing - make Christ-focused decisions in love, work, and life. And this was my week.
Like this?
Pay it forward by sharing it with someone who could benefit from it. They will thank you for it.
The Story of My Week
I joined the book launch of someone I respect very much.
He helped start me up on my blogging journey.
Yes, I had been blogging before he came into the picture. But he is the guy who made the journey easy to climb.
The book launch team is meant to help him but like the wonderful guy he is, the whole thing is helping all of us on the launch team.
He is giving us a regular behind-the-scene update on how things are evolving and how he is making decisions on the various important aspects.
It's not unusual - he is a teacher at heart so this approach is very much in keeping with him.
A couple of things were clear.
If you are in it to serve people, it is easier to succeed with a book launch.
When you have built a history of serving people, people will commit to your success.
I have been in a couple of book launches and each one has its own uniqueness.
I have to say, I love this one.
He is going through a systematic approach to get the book out there.
And I am learning new things through him.
Things I Learnt
1-In Difficult Times: It's easy to complain during difficult times. Why am I here? Can things be better?
I keep reminding myself not to ask the "why" questions.
No...and it's not like I have a problem with Simon Sinek's "Start With Why"
Starting with "Why" has its context. And I don't think this is one of them.
In difficult times, I start with "How".
That is what I continued doing this past week.
How can I make the best of difficult times?
How can I use the resources available to create the best results I can during these difficult times?
I guess this sort of thinking comes from years of framing my mind to believe that God only sends me to places where He knows I will thrive.
Everything else is just prose on the way to filling the overall plot.
During the week, I had to start with "How" for some matters.
It's part of my strategy for winning in life.
2-Don't Let Others Blame You for Their Decisions: During a 1-on-1 call in the week with a new mentee, I saw first-hand the effect of people taking more responsibility for other people's decisions than they needed to.
My new mentee was told by one of his parents that if he had been around during the last round of arguments, which was the straw that broke the camel's back, they would not have divorced.
I told him that's balderdash - not my exact words but something close to it.
How can two adults blame the reason why they divorced on their kid not being around to make peace between them?
He was busy in school with his studies.
They want him to leave school and solve their problems.
It's interesting that years later, this is still repeated.
They can say what they want, he has to choose what he believes.
And the simple he can believe is this - he was not responsible for their actions.
They were.
They can't blame him for their decisions - they can only blame themselves.
Most of us have varying levels of "Messiah Complex" in us. And that is why we let people "guilt-trip" into believing, we could have saved them if we were around.
It's an over-exaggerated sense of personal power and its ability to control the results that others create in their lives.
Nobody can change anyone else - unless they are ready to change.
No need to carry the burden you don't need to carry.
So says I to him.
Postscript
May you free yourself from the wrong weight of expectations that you carry for other people's decisions which you have no power to influence. Amen.
Like this? Pay it forward by sharing it with your friends.
Was this forwarded to you? Sign up so you don't miss any edition. Click here
Tola - The Everyday Disciple
I help Christians like you who want to live intentional lives incorporate their faith into everyday life so they can make Christ focused decisions in all areas of life and truly live to make an impact and make God happy.
0 comments